February 24, 2015

DIY Terrariums: Bring Beautiful Small Worlds into Your Home

I've been wanting to make a terrarium for quite some time, and thought I'd share the results now that we got around to doing it! These miniature green worlds bring a real pop of color and vibrant, lush green life into your home. Add a little deer to the mix, and it becomes a magical forest for kids to watch over and admire. Read on to learn more about how to make your own terrarium.

I found the glass bowls and the cute little deer figurines at Michaels' Arts and Crafts. I went with a small size since this was my first attempt at terrarium making. But you can get any shape or size you want.

Next we carefully added some small pebbles to the bottom of the bowls. Topped those with a layer of moss, and then added organic potting soil. Then we planted the small succulents Miss O and Mr. A selected.

Some tips: When I made Miss O's terrarium with her, I didn't spray the soil with water first before 'planting' the succulents in it. That was a mistake. It was a lot easier to mesh the succulents into wet soil, so when I made Mr. A's terrarium, I sprayed the potting soil and the roots of each succulent and then arranged them in the bowl.

Both terrariums will act as our dining room table centerpieces. Plants and greenery have a really calming effect, and they provide a lovely ambiance. I'm hoping they are easy to keep alive. Another tip I read is to use a spray bottle to keep them barely moist. Do not over water them, as they have no drainage holes. If you have an enclosed terrarium, be sure to add a layer of loose charcoal or activated charcoal below the potting soil level to keep the soil fresh.